stevens



(Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. s. STEVENS.

, MACHINE FOR WASHING DISHES.

No. 361,729. PatentedApr 26, 1887.

(Modem '2' Sheets-Sheet 2.

' .J.'S. STEVENS.

MAGHINE FOR WASHING DISHES.

N0; 361 729. Patented Apr. 26, 1887.-

ATTORNEY,

N. PEYERS. Phmn-Liihognplm. Wahlngion', In;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. STEVENS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNQR TO THE EUREKA MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR WASHING DISHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,729, dated April 26, 1887.

Application filed March 23, 1886. Serial No. 196,225. (ModeL) machines in which revolving paddles are used in conjunction with racks to hold the articles to be cleaned; and my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same on l ne 0 c, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 represents a section 011 line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the noiseless gearing that may be employed to drive the paddles; and Fig. 5 is a plan View of the machine with the cover thrown back and a portion of the fly-screen broken away.

The tank A is constructed with a bottom which slopes toward the center of the machine. Instead, however, of making the bottom of "a single piece of sheet metal, asl have done heretofore, I now cut the sheet in two pieces and leave a vacant space at the center of the bottom-that is to say, two and one-half inches wide and extending across the bottom in a direction parallel to the paddle-wheel journal F. In order to cover up this space and form a gutter, I take a piece of wood, D, and form an inclined groove, D, in its upper side and attach it to the bottom of the tank directly beneath the vacant space.

One end of the gutter D opens upon the out side of the tank, and is provided with a re movable stopper, D or afaucet of some kind, that will allow of the water that may be contained in the tank being drawn off. It is obvious that the gutter is thus located an inch that the groove in the gutter-piece may be either semicircular or V-shaped in cross-section, as preferred.

The driving-gearing of the machine consists of a main whee], L, having a groove in its periphery for the reception of a frictional ring, T, and a smaller wheel, L, also having a groove in its periphery for the reception of the ring T. The main wheel L is hung on one side of the machine, and its journal 2 has a bearing at one end in a suitable plate, 25, located on the side of the tank or in the side of the tank, as may be preferred, and the other end is carried by the wheel casing or cover E. The smaller wheel, L, is fixed on the projectting end of the paddle-journal F, and is so adjusted as to engage the larger wheel andbe revolved by it to drive the paddles.

The wheel-casing E is preferably formed in the shape shown, of cast iron, and secured to the side of the machine by means of screws. By means of it a bearing for the outer end of the journal 2 is secured, the wheels are concealed from view,'the danger that might arise from children playing with the machine and mashing their fingers between the wheels is averted, and, to a very great degree,-the ma chine is caused to present a more artistic and finished appearance. The free end of the journal 2 extends out beyond the casing E a sufficient distance to receive a hand-crank, F.

The wheel for agitating the water contained in the tank and for throwingit overt-he dishes that may be temporarily placed in the tank is composed of the journal F, which extends across the lower part of the tank, the paddlearms 7, which are preferably formed of metal and securely fixed to the journal by means of rivets or bolts, and two distinct and independent pairs of paddles, P and I, respectively. All of the paddles, however, are formed with a concave side, h, for the purpose of catching and throwing the water more readily, and the pair of paddles that are located diametrically opposite each other have notches, such as 9, formed in their outer edges in such a manner as to break joints-that is, the notches in the paddles P are not located diametrically opposite the notches in the paddles P I have found that when the paddles are formed with notches, as has just been described, they are much more effective in agitating water than they would be if they were formed without the notches.

The paddle-arms 7 are located on the paddlejournal F in pairs at such a distance apart as will correspond to the length of paddle desired, and the paddles are located on the arms in such a way that the concave side ofthe paddles P will face the concave side of the paddles I In this way it will make little difference which way the paddles are turned, and water will be as effectually thrown when they are rotated in one direction as it will when they are reversed.

To hold the dishes ina vertical position while they are being washed, I make use of racks made up of a suitable wire frame and coils of wire located on or fastened to the frame in a suitable manner. On each side ofthe paddle-journal I place a rack, such as H or H, composed of a ractangular wire frame having a length corresponding to the width of the tank and having its end bars bent at the middle or depressed, so that the rack will be V or U shaped in cross-section, several longitudinal wires, which are fastened at their ends to the end bars of the frame, anda suitable number of coils, which are located on the longitudinal wires and are also secured to the end bars. These racks are removable, as they simply rest on a series of rectangular hooks, 12, which project from the sides of the tank,

- and hence they may be lifted bodily from the tank whenever desired. Directly above the paddles a central rack, H, is located. It may be formed and supported in the same manner as the ones just described; or, if preferred, its end bars' can be bent to a semicircular form, as shown.

At the left hand, in Fig. 2, it will be seen that I locate a rack, II,- that is very similar in construction to the ones before described, except that it is hinged to open upward at one side, and at the side that is opposite the hinges it is turned a little downward. This downward deflection of this rack forms a small space between the side of the rack and the end of the tank, in which cups, knives, and other small articles may be placed and held while being washed. The hinge by which one side of this rack is supported is formed by bending an eye on the ends of the respective end bars and passing a screw, 13, through it and into the side of the tank.

On the right hand of the same figure above noted, and at one side of the central rack, H, I locate another rack, H very much like the one on the opposite side and hinged in the same way; but its longitudinal wires are devoid of coils. Coils may be located on its wires, however, if found desirable.

In order to prevent flies and other insects from entering the machine when the cover is thrown back, as it should be when a lot of dishes have been washed and are allowedto remain in the tank a few moments to dry, I provide a wire screen, R, of a size that will correspond to the dimensions of the upper part there are dishes in the tank and when the cover B is thrown back, and of course it may be removed at any time.

The cover B may be constructed either wholly or in part of wood. If made of wood, it may be of one or more thicknesses or of a single thickness and hinged at one end to the upper edge of the tank, as shown. It is necessary, of course, that the cover should be fitted to the tank as tightly as possible without having to be forced down, in order to prevent the agitated water from flying out when the paddles are revolved.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Hotwater being placed in the tankA and the paddles rotated by means of the crank F and the intermediate mechanism, the paddles throw the water all over the dishes that may be located in the several racks, and the water being hot, the dishes will soon dry without wiping if allowed to remain in the machine to drain.

The gearing above described, while being almost noiseless in its operation, is quite simple and not liable to get out of order.

Any desired style of supporting-legs may be affixed to the body of the machine, though I may say that I- prefer to use something for this purpose that is similar to what I show in the drawings.

Idesire to say that heretofore one of the greatest drawbacks and hinderances to the success of dish-washers having a tank and agitating-paddles has been the fact that the sediment from the dishes has settled upon the bottom of the tank and has been thrown upon the dishes again after the clean rinsing-water has been put in and the paddles revolved. By the improved construction of tank herein shown and described these defects are securely obviated, as the peculiar shape of the tank and IIO the groove or gutter D, slanting toward the faucet-opening, will allow the dirty water and the sediment to be discharged with a rush.

In connection with the advantages of my improved racks for holding the dishes, I may say that their construction is such that all sizes, shapes, and styles of dishes will be securely held in proper position for washing by them.

Having thus described my invcntion,what I claim is' 1. In a dish-washing machine provided with a tank and removable cover, the lower racks removably hung on suitable hooks or brackets, the upper racks hinged above said lower racks to open upward, and a screen, such asR, re-' movably placed on suitable supports, so as to cover the top of the tank to keep out insects when the cover is open, in combination with IIS 2. In a dish-washing machine, a tank having a removable cover, the lower racks removably located on each side of the agitating-paddles and the upper racks hinged to open upward above the agitating-paddles, in combination with the metal plates forming the bottom of the tank, said plates having their lowerv edges separated to form a slot, and a block, D, having an inclined groove, D, located directly beneath said slot, for the purpose substantially as described.

3. In a dish-washer,a rack for holding dishes, composed of a rectangular frame with its end bars bent at the middle or depressed and having an eye, for the reception of ascrew, formed on one side of it, whereby it may be hinged to open upward at one side, and having the side of the rack that is opposite the hinges bent downward, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a dish-washer, the combination, with the tank A, of the racks H and- IP, hinged to open upward, the centrally-located rack H,

the removable V-shaped rack H located on one side of the paddles at the bottom of the tank, the removable rack H, located at the bottom of the tank on the side that is opposite the rack H, and a series of agitating-paddles and driving mechanism therefor, all arranged and operating as set forth.

5. In a dish-washing machine, the combi- JAMES s.' STEVENS.

\Vitnesses:

FRANK O. FRIEND, GEO. CARENTA. 

